Ricky Dimon
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We are approaching the best time of year in college football, but don’t forget about the hardwood. The 2021-22 college basketball season is well underway and it is heating up with various tournaments either tipping off or wrapping up around Thanksgiving. Among the teams in action on Tuesday are Gonzaga, UCLA, North Carolina, Houston, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Cincinnati. Needless to say, Gonzaga vs UCLA is the biggest game of all.
Wofford ML (+167)
South Dakota State -6.5 (-110)
UCLA +7 (-110)
Parlay odds: +873
For this parlay we are going with one favorite against the spread, one underdog plus the points, and one underdog on the money line. Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
UCLA +7 over Gonzaga (-110)
Gonzaga and UCLA meet again, just months removed from the absolutely epic Final Four battle when now-pro Jalen Suggs sank a half-court heave at the overtime buzzer to advance to the championship game against Baylor. Gonzaga replaces 3 key pieces from their Final Four team, as Suggs, Corey Kispert, and Joel Ayayi all moved on to the NBA. Andrew Nembhard, Rasir Bolton, and Julian Strawther are great players, but that trio of now-pro Zags is an extremely tough group to replace. Contrary to Gonzaga, UCLA returns pretty much every contributing piece from the Final Four aside from Cody Riley, who is nursing an injury. Head coach Mick Cronin also went out and added Rutgers transfer Myles Johnson, a 6’10” shot-blocker and rebounding monster, to help with the Bruin rim protection — which is something they so desperately needed last season. UCLA is the 7th-most efficient offense in the country per KenPom and comes into this rematch with Gonzaga averaging 94.8 points per game while ranking 20th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency and holding opponents to 67.8 points per game. It may be difficult for the Zags to slow down Johnny Juzang.
Check out our UCLA vs Gonzaga preview
Wofford ML over South Carolina (+167)
South Carolina comes in this non-conference matchup with a 3-1 record after beating two Conference USA foes back-to-back. In their last game, the Gamecocks edged out UAB 66-63. That’s a decent win but nothing special. Wofford’s offense has been strong, averaging 86 points per game. Sophomore guard Max Klesmit leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.2 points and knocking in 46.3% of shots from the field. They travel to South Carolina holding a 4-1 record, with their loss coming against Clemson on the road. The Terriers played extremely well most of that game and they were leading Clemson with about 11 minutes to go before falling short via a 76-68 margin. The ‘Cocks have played better since their upset loss to Princeton on November 12, but they still have major issues on the offensive end.
Check out our Wofford vs South Carolina preview
South Dakota State -6.5 over Washington (-110)
This will be these teams second game in the Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Huskies beat George Mason in their opening game 77-74. Beating GMU gives Washington a 3-2 record coming into this matchup. The Huskies have struggled again this season, losing to Northern Illinois and Wyoming. South Dakota State comes into Tuesday’s game at 5-1 with its lone loss on the road against Alabama. Since that loss, the Jackrabbits have cruised past teams — winning 4 straight games all by double digits. Their most impressive win came Monday night in this Crossover Classic as they dominated Nevada 102-75.
Check out all our college basketball previews and picks for Tuesday
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